Hello TPU! I have a gaming computer that is almost 3years old-- without doing any upgrade, not even on the cooling! So I am saving up now and planning to upgrade it, since I don't think building a new one helps my pocket. (hehe)

I have listed my specs in the desc. What I am planning to upgrade:
CPU, Video Card, Storage, Coolers

What I play:
Usually I play the good old GTA IV and some other old games like BF3, Crysis 2.. (because my PC Can't handle new games) I will play GTA V tho.

What I have in mind:
months ago I was clueless of the "Thermal Paste" thing for my pc (my CPU was installed by the shop I bought the parts with), and so I needed some "Cleaning" because it is getting dusty. I removed the cooler of the CPU and GPU and put it back with the old and dry thermal compound (I know, stupid right?) so then after that, my games were logging like hell (5fps is the worst) I thought I needed to buy a thermal compound AND an aftermarket cooler.

What do you guys think? Is my current cpu specs future-proof enough if I replace the thermal compound and buy an aftermarket CPU cooler like, Antec H20 620 / CM V8??

Well, for now you definitely need new thermal paste on there, your CPU is overheating and I suggest you not use your computer until this is fixed as it is VERY important. AC MX-4 works good and it's pretty foolproof in how you apply it. The Antec H20 620 is a fine choice, don't bother with the CM V8 as it is big and does a lousy job for its size.

As far as upgrading the rest of your computer don't bother other than the video card. If you were to upgrade your CPU, it's not worth it staying on your current platform. A video card upgrade will do you the most good. Currently a Nvidia 660ti or an AMD HD 7950 are the way to go.

You already have the top i5 CPU and frankly going for an i7 isn't going to help much (if at all) in games unless you get an 875K (for the unlocked multiplier). I'd suggest to get an aftermarket heatsink, the CM Hyper 212 is a popular choice, just make sure to see if it would fit in your case (it doesn't in mine). If you aren't against watercooling you could get by with an H40 even with a slight overclock on your CPU.

For the GPU, if you don't mind buying used stuff you could snatch an HD6950 pretty cheap, around $150+shipping (I got mine used for $120 because the fans broke but I managed to "fix" it). If you got the money, the HD7850 has one of the best bang-for-the-buck ratios. If you can spend $300 go for the GTX660.

And for storage, I assume those 660GB of yours are constraining you, isn't it? Get a 2TB drive, costs just a fraction more of what 1TB drives go for.

Well, for now you definitely need new thermal paste on there, your CPU is overheating and I suggest you not use your computer until this is fixed as it is VERY important. AC MX-4 works good and it's pretty foolproof in how you apply it. The Antec H20 620 is a fine choice, don't bother with the CM V8 as it is big and does a lousy job for its size.

As far as upgrading the rest of your computer don't bother other than the video card. If you were to upgrade your CPU, it's not worth it staying on your current platform. A video card upgrade will do you the most good. Currently a Nvidia 660ti or an AMD HD 7950 are the way to go.

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6+months have passed and I'm still using my computer.. are my CPU and GPU already cooked? I overclocked them both once but now the CPU is on stock and GPU is on overdrive.

You already have the top i5 CPU and frankly going for an i7 isn't going to help much (if at all) in games unless you get an 875K (for the unlocked multiplier). I'd suggest to get an aftermarket heatsink, the CM Hyper 212 is a popular choice, just make sure to see if it would fit in your case (it doesn't in mine). If you aren't against watercooling you could get by with an H40 even with a slight overclock on your CPU.

For the GPU, if you don't mind buying used stuff you could snatch an HD6950 pretty cheap, around $150+shipping (I got mine used for $120 because the fans broke but I managed to "fix" it). If you got the money, the HD7850 has one of the best bang-for-the-buck ratios. If you can spend $300 go for the GTX660.

And for storage, I assume those 660GB of yours are constraining you, isn't it? Get a 2TB drive, costs just a fraction more of what 1TB drives go for.

EDIT: forget those prices, I see you're in the Philippines.

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I was thinking of the H40 too, but the online store doesn't have them so I need to check it on the local stores. For the storage, I don't really put too much but a 2TB would be new for me. Also do you recommend an SSD?

The motherboard/cpu has over temperature protection and it throttles the CPU. This is why you notice all the lag.

No bottleneck with the 660Ti and your setup. More/faster RAM will help a bit too.

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Really? Awesome feature! I didn't know that. I need to have more knowledge in computers.. anyway, I would save up and try the 660Ti. About the RAM, would 1800 "kill" it or do I need like, 2000Mhz? I'm planning on 8GB only Since I only run atleast 4 active programs at a time.

6+months have passed and I'm still using my computer.. are my CPU and GPU already cooked? I overclocked them both once but now the CPU is on stock and GPU is on overdrive.

Wouldn't the 660Ti bottleneck with my 1st gen i5 or motherboard?

I was thinking of the H40 too, but the online store doesn't have them so I need to check it on the local stores. For the storage, I don't really put too much but a 2TB would be new for me. Also do you recommend an SSD?

Got it! are my 1333RAM sticks okay or do i need to upgrade it as well?

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Running with baked thermal paste isn't advisable, even if your PC doesn't show any detriments (which it does according to your post). You don't need any fancy stuff unless you intent to overclock, but even if you do, in the mean time get whatever you can locally (most probably CM Ice Fusion, that stuff is everywhere).

As you can see, not even a GTX680 or HD7970 are bottlenecked by the PCIe 2.0 interface.

Personally, I don't mind SSDs but with all the horror stories going around I prefer SSDs for caching. A Win7 install uses about 15-20GB so you could get by with a 32GB SSD as a boot drive. If you pretend to install programs on the SSD I'd say a 128GB model would be ideal. I've heard a lot of good things about the Crucial m4 and not a lot of bad ones (mostly DOA drives).

1333Mhz is fine. Increased bandwidth doesn't seem to help intel CPUs a lot. If you can, go for a 2x4GB kit as loading all the RAM slots will put strain on the memory controller. You could get a 1600Mhz kit for a couple bucks more than a 1333 kit if you fancy one.

Hey There! Fellow Pinoy Here. I am too getting a new build, might as well help out on this one.

First thing's First, How much is your budget? We really need to know how much you're willing to spend.

Next thing is that is this really a purely gaming build? If you do some lite photoshopping and Video Editing then a good Processor upgrade would suffice. pair that with a good mobo and you're good to go.

EDIT: How big is the screen resolution your playing?

As said you really can't go wrong with a GTX660 ti, but since we're from the same country (Philippines), only a few models have some out.

As for your Processor, I wouldn't mind upgrading it. It's powerful enough to handle gaming. Memory is kinda good too, since most games don't use 4gb+ (Correct me if I'm wrong tho.) So The only thing worth upgrading here is the vid card and your cooling. :\

It all comes down to how much money you have to spend.
First and foremost, for your setup you can increase considerably the performance (in games) by upgrading you GPU. Depending on the prices you have there, GTX660Ti or the HD7950 would be your best choices, while these cards don't break the bank they offer good performance. A plus for the 7950 which, overclocked can give you performance in the range of the 680/7970.
Then, thermal paste and the popular Hyper 212+ from Cooler Master will help you overclock the CPU.
Last but not least another stick of memory, preferably same brand and model, will help you run in dual-channel mode.

Hey There! Fellow Pinoy Here. I am too getting a new build, might as well help out on this one.

First thing's First, How much is your budget? We really need to know how much you're willing to spend.

Next thing is that is this really a purely gaming build? If you do some lite photoshopping and Video Editing then a good Processor upgrade would suffice. pair that with a good mobo and you're good to go.

EDIT: How big is the screen resolution your playing?

As said you really can't go wrong with a GTX660 ti, but since we're from the same country (Philippines), only a few models have some out.

As for your Processor, I wouldn't mind upgrading it. It's powerful enough to handle gaming. Memory is kinda good too, since most games don't use 4gb+ (Correct me if I'm wrong tho.) So The only thing worth upgrading here is the vid card and your cooling. :\

If you like to, then you could also swap out your HDD to a SSD. (though it's really optional)

Hope I helped

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Thanks fellow Pinoy! But actually I have seen one 660Ti in PCX Gilmore. I didn't check the prices tho how about a 560ti? Well, I do Photoshops a lot and might be doing animations since I'm a Multi-Media Artist. I play games whenever I have free time which is like, almost every day after I work

It all comes down to how much money you have to spend.
First and foremost, for your setup you can increase considerably the performance (in games) by upgrading you GPU. Depending on the prices you have there, GTX660Ti or the HD7950 would be your best choices, while these cards don't break the bank they offer good performance. A plus for the 7950 which, overclocked can give you performance in the range of the 680/7970.
Then, thermal paste and the popular Hyper 212+ from Cooler Master will help you overclock the CPU.
Last but not least another stick of memory, preferably same brand and model, will help you run in dual-channel mode.

Click to expand...

What would be the best bang for the bucks for a CPU cooler? I want those in the price level of CM V8 and Antec H20 620.. and yes, I will buy a new stick.

Running with baked thermal paste isn't advisable, even if your PC doesn't show any detriments (which it does according to your post). You don't need any fancy stuff unless you intent to overclock, but even if you do, in the mean time get whatever you can locally (most probably CM Ice Fusion, that stuff is everywhere).

As you can see, not even a GTX680 or HD7970 are bottlenecked by the PCIe 2.0 interface.

Personally, I don't mind SSDs but with all the horror stories going around I prefer SSDs for caching. A Win7 install uses about 15-20GB so you could get by with a 32GB SSD as a boot drive. If you pretend to install programs on the SSD I'd say a 128GB model would be ideal. I've heard a lot of good things about the Crucial m4 and not a lot of bad ones (mostly DOA drives).

1333Mhz is fine. Increased bandwidth doesn't seem to help intel CPUs a lot. If you can, go for a 2x4GB kit as loading all the RAM slots will put strain on the memory controller. You could get a 1600Mhz kit for a couple bucks more than a 1333 kit if you fancy one.

Click to expand...

Couldn't argue with this one.

EDIT: Although guys, I also do a LOT of Photoshop and Illustrator. Also Adobe Premiere, and in the near future I will be doing animations and will be doing some computer codes..

Hey There! Fellow Pinoy Here. I am too getting a new build, might as well help out on this one.

First thing's First, How much is your budget? We really need to know how much you're willing to spend.

Next thing is that is this really a purely gaming build? If you do some lite photoshopping and Video Editing then a good Processor upgrade would suffice. pair that with a good mobo and you're good to go.

EDIT: How big is the screen resolution your playing?

As said you really can't go wrong with a GTX660 ti, but since we're from the same country (Philippines), only a few models have some out.

As for your Processor, I wouldn't mind upgrading it. It's powerful enough to handle gaming. Memory is kinda good too, since most games don't use 4gb+ (Correct me if I'm wrong tho.) So The only thing worth upgrading here is the vid card and your cooling. :\

It all comes down to how much money you have to spend.
First and foremost, for your setup you can increase considerably the performance (in games) by upgrading you GPU. Depending on the prices you have there, GTX660Ti or the HD7950 would be your best choices, while these cards don't break the bank they offer good performance. A plus for the 7950 which, overclocked can give you performance in the range of the 680/7970.
Then, thermal paste and the popular Hyper 212+ from Cooler Master will help you overclock the CPU.
Last but not least another stick of memory, preferably same brand and model, will help you run in dual-channel mode.

I also do a LOT of Photoshop and Illustrator. Also Adobe Premiere, and in the near future I will be doing animations and will be doing some computer codes..

Click to expand...

yep you need more RAM, for today usage, i5 is still pretty fast for vga card, if you dont need top of the line, you can take mid range card.
660Ti is good, but if possible take 2 gig memory it would help if you run high resolution, effect or like that
so you can add ram, replace your stock cooler, add some fans maybe to give your rig enough fresh air

yep you need more RAM, for today usage, i5 is still pretty fast for vga card, if you dont need top of the line, you can take mid range card.
660Ti is good, but if possible take 2 gig memory it would help if you run high resolution, effect or like that
so you can add ram, replace your stock cooler, add some fans maybe to give your rig enough fresh air

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So I DO need a 2000Mhz RAM? Those are pretty cheap today unlike before.. Esp. those 1800MHz. I was also thinking of 2GB for my vid card, but I couldn't find a better one at a low price. Yes, I will add a pre-filled liquid cooler like the antec 620 or the H40 from corsair. Might also add a cooling fan for my RAM and storage devices.

So I DO need a 2000Mhz RAM? Those are pretty cheap today unlike before.. Esp. those 1800MHz. I was also thinking of 2GB for my vid card, but I couldn't find a better one at a low price. Yes, I will add a pre-filled liquid cooler like the antec 620 or the H40 from corsair. Might also add a cooling fan for my RAM and storage devices.

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No not really. 1333 or 1600 is plenty for 1156 platform. Cooler is personal, so if you want to go for sealed loop over big tower I can't criticize your choice. No need cooling fan for Ram or storage either. Your front intake is probably more than enough for storage, DDR3 ram doesn't really get hot unlike DDR2's.

No not really. 1333 or 1600 is plenty for 1156 platform. Cooler is personal, so if you want to go for sealed loop over big tower I can't criticize your choice. No need cooling fan for Ram or storage either. Your front intake is probably more than enough for storage, DDR3 ram doesn't really get hot unlike DDR2's.

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Even though i do a lot of photoshop, illustrator, movie editing, animation, etc, 1333 would still be okay? and how did you know I had a front intake? I mean, when I bought the case there isn't a front intake. just a side and rear exhaust. I just installed the front intake recently

Holy crap, I had no idea.
I always buy WD ( I like the Blacks) but for that pricing I'll have to look at Seagate.
That $119.00 is a nice deal for sure.
Guess it's time to take off the horse blinders and look around me.